Footage shows troops in negotiations

Earlier on Saturday, television footage showed troops inside the mosque apparently trying to persuade the protesters to give themselves up.

A protester inside the mosque told AFP by telephone that they were demanding they not be arrested, or attacked by hostile civilians who were gathered outside the mosque.

"Thugs tried to storm the mosque but the men barricaded the doors," another protester inside the mosque told AFP earlier.

It was not clear who she meant by "thugs."

Security officials quoted by the official MENA news agency said that "armed elements" had been shooting at security forces and police from inside the mosque.

It was not possible to verify the numbers in the mosque independently, according to AFP.

It's unclear how many of the protesters are caught inside the mosque, which was at the centre of the worst of [Friday's] clashes.The Al-Fath mosque became a makeshift field hospital and morgue after shooting broke out in the surrounding Ramses Square.Thousands of supporters of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, took to the streets to express their anger over the killing of hundreds earlier in the week.Some of those inside the mosque have left, but others refuse to leave fearing detention by the police.

Egyptian PM proposes dissolving Muslim Brotherhood

Mr Beblawi had made the proposal to the minister of social affairs, who is responsible for licensing non-governmental organisations, spokesman Sherif Shawky said.

"It is being studied currently," the spokesman said.

The Brotherhood, founded in 1928, was dissolved by Egypt's military rulers in 1954, but registered itself as a non-governmental organisation in March in a response to a court case brought by opponents of the group who were contesting its legality.

The FJP is the legally registered political arm of the Brotherhood, and was established in 2011 after the uprising that led to the downfall of veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Peaceful protests held in Sydney

Sydney's Islamic community staged a protest on Saturday afternoon condemning what they describe as the Western-backed killing of innocent Muslims.

Tensions are running high in Australia's Muslim community, fuelled by images of violent clashes from Egypt.